Ventilator is about what happens when the head of a large family is admitted to the ICU, the impact it has on the people around, humour and drama arising out of situations and the idiosyncrasies of the characters. The film had a special resonance for me, since part of it had been shot at the hospital where my dad had been in ICU a few months back, before he passed away. But even without that connection, many of us will identify with the events in the script - the rush and babble of relatives, the formalities that have to be attended to, the endless retelling of "What happened?", unasked second opinions and overwhelming sympathies, hidden motives and bickering that well up. The writing and direction have some real gems in this aspect. Also of note are the performances of the ensemble cast. Ashutosh Gowarikar has a major role playing (surprise, surprise) a successful film director and nephew of the ill man, and who also doesn't get along with his own father. Jitendra Joshi as the patient's son who resents his father for not respecting / accepting him is a revelation of good acting. In fact, most of the very large cast fit well in their roles and leave their mark.
One problem with the film is that it tries way too hard for its own sake. The script could definitely have done with some trimming and excision (a running gag with a fat kid is especially obnoxious), and the current 2.5 hour running time can be a slog. Especially towards the end, when the humour gives way to drama, you have a series of emotional climaxes coming one after the other and it gets a bit tiresome.
But overall it is still a worthwhile watch with the entire family. The film is obviously aiming for more than the usual Marathi speaking audience, since it is screened with English subtitles. They could think of expanding the audience further by dubbing it in Hindi and other languages. But for God's sake please do not remake the film with stars, that would just destroy its spirit.
One problem with the film is that it tries way too hard for its own sake. The script could definitely have done with some trimming and excision (a running gag with a fat kid is especially obnoxious), and the current 2.5 hour running time can be a slog. Especially towards the end, when the humour gives way to drama, you have a series of emotional climaxes coming one after the other and it gets a bit tiresome.
But overall it is still a worthwhile watch with the entire family. The film is obviously aiming for more than the usual Marathi speaking audience, since it is screened with English subtitles. They could think of expanding the audience further by dubbing it in Hindi and other languages. But for God's sake please do not remake the film with stars, that would just destroy its spirit.